Original > Hot Tub Forum
GFCI Tripping
Botswana:
--- Quote from: castletonia on March 27, 2018, 09:06:08 pm ---No circulation pump and ozone is optional. I just went through something similar with a customer who has a 2017 Caldera Marino. Random breaker trips, but never could replicate it. Replaced the main control box and it has been problem free since.
Not saying that is your issue, but it solved my customers.
--- End quote ---
I really hope this isn't my issue. Is there anyway to test the main board? Also, what is the trouble shooting that led you to replacing it? Had you replaced any other parts before that? If it keeps tripping after unplugging all of the components (both pumps and heater) would that mean its the board?
Botswana:
--- Quote from: Tman122 on March 27, 2018, 04:56:00 pm ---
--- Quote from: gmdodt on March 27, 2018, 04:11:47 pm ---Hey All -
I have a continual problem with my 2016 Caldera Vanto randomly tripping the GFCI breaker in the spa box. The break trips randomly when not being used. It never trips when manually being used. It happens some time when its filtering, heating, or just sitting there in the night/day. The serviceman came out the first time and saw the pump seal leaking so he replaced it, and it went about a month without tripping, but then it did. Then 2 weeks later it tripped again, the two weeks later..again. He came out today and checked out the breaker and was testing loads. Turn the spa on and let it run for 40 mins and none of his electrical testing resulted in anything even close to being alarming. I have also already replaced the breaker and the wiring from the breaker to the tub in hopes of fixing it. This was the last warranty trip as it is now out of warranty. The guy suggested waiting until something is more reproducible to call them back so they can try to trace it, but I hate having to check my hot tub everyday to make sure its on so that it doesn't freeze or the water quality doesn't get crappy. Every aspect of the hot tub works perfectly..heater, lights, all pump speeds, everything. Anyone have a suggestion? I feel like the only thing to do is replace the breaker AGAIN, but he even said it was unlikely as it didn't get hot and this hot tub doesn't even pull anything close the the 50amps its rated for.
I've already spent countless hours doing research and just cannot find anything besides the typical person saying its the heater...which shows no signs of it being the case in this situation.
The tub is wired correctly, before someone throws out the whole fact that people mess up the wiring a lot. It is wired directly in the spa box and is the only thing wired on the breaker inside the house. It is also wired with heavy duty 6 gauge through PVC with all the joints glued together. There is no water getting into the tubes, and the tub trips on perfectly dry days. He had all the covers to the breaker and the tub off today when it was pouring rain when he was diagnosing and it wouldn't even trip, so im confident its not a water problem. There has also never been any water seen in the breaker box or in the spa by the pumps/controls
He also said the temperatures all seemed reasonable..touched the pumps...tried to move things around to make sure nothing was loose, etc.
--- End quote ---
These are the toughest kind of problems for a tech. You can't replicate the problem but yet it keeps happening. There is a rhyme and reason to it you just haven't seen it yet.
Has it ever happened when you are using the tub? You didn't mention if you had a circulation pump besides the jet pump/s?
--- End quote ---
To date, out of the probably 15 random trips, only one time did it happen when I pushed the JETS button. The rest are when the tub is not in use. When he came today he had his megger on and checked readings with all different types of button pushes on the spa (jets, heat up/down, lights, etc..). I cant remember what pump it was trying to activate when it happened to me and one of them has been replaced since then for a leaking seal.
Botswana:
--- Quote from: Jacuzzi Jim on March 27, 2018, 05:22:13 pm --- Nuisance tripping is a pain in the arse. Only real way to solve it is one start replacing parts, which is expensive. Or start un-plugging things one at a time and let it run to see if it trips again. Start with ozone if it has one, run for a week. then pump 2 then pump one, or like mentioned does it have a circ pump. Most times it's the ozone.
--- End quote ---
The only problem is it takes 2 weeks to a month to trip!! I am going to start with this though. On the caldera main board, do I just follow the wires for say Jet 1 to the main board and pull off the connecting at the main board? Same with the heater? or do I disconnect at the actual heater terminals..I assume everything is just plug'n'play style so they can be pulled off the main board easily..
castletonia:
Honestly, I think it was dumb luck we discovered it. After the last GFCI trip, we advised the customer to leave it and my tech came out with our electrician the same day. When he reset the breaker, the dual speed pump was making an odd noise, similar to that if bearings were going out. Initially, he assumed pump, so we replaced the pump. Still had the same issue with a new pump. Further investigation determined the board was sending power to both low and high speed of the pump at the same time. We put the old pump back in, new spa pack, reflashed software and have been good since.
Had the pump not been making odd noises, then we may still be searching for answers.
castletonia:
--- Quote from: gmdodt on March 27, 2018, 10:17:31 pm ---
--- Quote from: Jacuzzi Jim on March 27, 2018, 05:22:13 pm --- Nuisance tripping is a pain in the arse. Only real way to solve it is one start replacing parts, which is expensive. Or start un-plugging things one at a time and let it run to see if it trips again. Start with ozone if it has one, run for a week. then pump 2 then pump one, or like mentioned does it have a circ pump. Most times it's the ozone.
--- End quote ---
The only problem is it takes 2 weeks to a month to trip!! I am going to start with this though. On the caldera main board, do I just follow the wires for say Jet 1 to the main board and pull off the connecting at the main board? Same with the heater? or do I disconnect at the actual heater terminals..I assume everything is just plug'n'play style so they can be pulled off the main board easily..
--- End quote ---
You really cannot disconnect the dual speed pump since that is the pump that feeds the heater.
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